A new study is claiming that women sleep better when they share their beds with dogs. The researchers found that these women reported fewer sleep disturbances and they feel a higher sense of security and comfort.

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In the study, which was published in the Journal of the International Society for Anthrozoology, it was also reported that women who slept with cats did not have the same benefits.

According to lead researcher Christy Hoffman, Program Director of Anthrozoology at Cansius College, women sleep better with dogs than with cats, or even other adult humans. It's possible that these findings could be based on the fact that women are reliant on the dog's ability to deter intruders and warn their owners if there's a threat.

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Data was gathered by bringing together information from 962 women living in the United States, 55 percent of the respondents shared their bed with a dog, 31 percent with a cat and 57 percent with a human partner. The data gathered was then assessed in order to determine how each of the women slept and if there was a link between owning pets and sleep quality.

From the findings, researchers determined that being a pet owner does impact sleep. Apart from sleeping better, dog owners were shown to have earlier bedtimes and to wake up early as well. The cats, on the other hand, were almost as disruptive as the human partners, and only provided a weak level of comfort and security for the woman.

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We probably shouldn't hang our hats on this conclusion, though, as researchers also stated that a follow-up study would be done to see if the pet owner's feelings about the pets have anything to do with the quality of sleep.